This invention relates stored-value cards associated with stored-value accounts. More particularly, the invention relates to adding stored value to a stored-value account managed by a third party. The invention also relates to amending a user's stored-value account managed by a third party. The invention also relates to verifying a source of a request for a stored-value card transaction. Finally, the invention relates to the above functions of stored-value cards as applied to specific embodiments of stored value cards, such as prepaid emergency road service cards.
Customers purchase stored-value cards and accounts. They also purchase value to add to existing stored-value accounts. For instance, a customer may purchase a PIN associated with a particular value of time or money and a particular telecommunications provider. The purchases may occur at merchant terminals. The merchants may comprise any store that sells stored-value cards, PINs, or stored-value accounts.
This process is described at length in the applications listed above, and those applications are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.
The stored-value accounts are associated with product and/or service providers. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the stored-value accounts are associated with wireless telecommunications service providers (sometimes referred to as carriers). For instance, the customer may purchase a $20 PIN to enable $20 of wireless service in a wireless stored-value account.
As described in the above-referenced applications, a customer may purchase a PIN that can be associated with a stored-value card/account. The PIN may be associated with a value. The PIN may be associated with a stored-value account at purchase. In a preferred embodiment, the PIN is later associated with a product or service provider selected by the purchaser/customer/user.
The customer may then contact a central processor to process the PIN. The customer may also directly contact a carrier (or other product or service-provider) to add value to an account. For instance, the customer may access a website associated with the carrier or call a phone number (such as an 800 number) such as the phone number of the carrier. Methods of activating a PIN or otherwise processing a PIN are well known in the art.
Processing a PIN may comprise redeeming the value, adding the value to a stored-value account, or otherwise processing the PIN or changing the customer's stored-value account. The account may be maintained by the provider, by a system associated with the central processor, by a merchant, or by a third-party.
During the request, the central processor may prompt the user for various information. For instance, the processor may request the user's PIN and/or MIN. The processor may also request personal information, such as the user's name, address, social security number, cellular (or other) phone number, other account numbers, identification numbers, etc.
During the process request, the central processor may prompt the user to select a provider. For instance, the central processor may request that that the user select a telecommunications carrier. The user may then select a particular provider/carrier. The user may select a carrier/provider for which the user has a preexisting stored-value account, and the preexisting stored-value account may be an account for which value can be added via PIN processing.
Users may also select a redemption method.
The user may select a provider that is affiliated with the central processor. For instance, the central processor may manage a particular affiliated carrier's stored-value accounts. Other business and system arrangements can be considered.
When a customer selects an affiliated provider, the central processor may process the request and amend the user's stored-value account directly. For instance, the central processor may maintain a database of PINs and stored-value accounts for users, and such database may include the PINs and stored-value accounts for the affiliated providers. Processing the request may comprise amending the stored records in the database associated with the user's stored-value account.
The central processor may not maintain the database of stored-value accounts for other providers. In order to process a PIN request for such providers, a central processor may transfer the request to the provider. For instance, if a customer makes the PIN request via phone, then the central processor's IVR may transfer the call to the carrier's phone system, which may comprise another IVR for processing PIN requests. If the request is via the internet, the central processor website may redirect the user to the carrier website (or provide a link or embed the carrier site or otherwise direct the user to the carrier system). The unaffiliated carrier may then process the PIN request, for instance in a manner known in the art.
Stored-value cards can be authorized and distributed over communications networks. Examples of communications networks include dedicated telephone lines, public telephone links, and the internet or other networked communication. The data of the stored-value cards is related to services and/or products prepaid by the owner or end user of the card. Examples of prepaid services that may be accommodated by the stored-value data include long distance telephone communication, wireless communication, paging and internet-enabled communication services, including wireless web access. Other examples of prepaid services and/or products that may be accommodated by the stored-value card include gift cards, prepaid gas cards, prepaid grocery cards, prepaid entertainment cards, downloadable ring tone cards, downloadable game cards, downloadable music cards that use MP3, MP4, WMV, WAV, or other music formats, any other downloadable software card, customer rewards cards, and any other type of stored-value cards for products, services, or both, that may be prepaid by the owner of the card.
Stored-value cards, such as prepaid long distance phone cards, are generally used in the telephone industry to allow customers to pre-purchase long distance calling time. Each of the cards has a printed identification number. Associated identification information can be magnetically stored therein or printed in a barcode. The identification number is also stored in a file in a database maintained by the card issuer. In the traditional business model, when the cards are sent to the retail location from which they will be sold, the corresponding records in the database are activated, thus allowing the card to be used immediately by a customer. To use the card as a prepaid long distance card, the customer dials a toll free number to access the card issuer's system, enters the identification number, and then makes the desired long-distance call.
These prior art prepaid phone card systems have several disadvantages. For example, since the cards are active while on the shelf in the retail location, the cards may be stolen by a thief and easily used. One way to address some of the drawbacks of prior art prepaid phone card systems would be to install activation terminals unique to the prepaid card issuer. This is referred to as a “closed system.” U.S. Pat. No. 5,577,109 to Stimson et al. discloses such a closed system. In the Stimson system, the cards are not preactivated. Each of the retail locations from which cards are to be sold is provided with a dedicated activation terminal which allows the retail operator to set the value of the card at the time of the sale. The activation terminal connects to the card issuer's system to pass along the value amount and to request activation of the card. Depleted cards can be recharged in the same manner as they are sold. A serious disadvantage of the Stimson system is that it requires single-function dedicated hardware to be installed in each retail location, resulting in a very inflexible and expensive system.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,000,608 to Dorf provides a multifunction card system including a prepaid phone card activating system which allows cards to be purchased in varying amounts and to be recharged without requiring the use of a closed system to handle the transactions. Although Dorf purports to alleviate some of the drawbacks of Stimson by using point-of-sale devices connected to a banking system, it is believed that Dorf fails to verify sources of card activation requests so as to enhance detection of potential security breaches that could ensue in any system accessible to a large number of users.
It would be further desirable to provide a system and method for selectively processing stored-value card requests, such as stored-value card activation, deactivation, and/or value change, based on the communications network over which the request is transmitted. Additionally, it would be further desirable to provide a system and method for selectively processing stored-value card requests based on the source of the request, wherein such request can be received over a variety of communications networks that are available to unauthorized users. It would be further desirable to provide a method of determining a plurality of communications networks and a plurality of sources of activation requests that are authorized to carry or make valid requests, respectively, either prior to or at the same time as such requests are made.